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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24631099">Last Semester</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multicoloredacid/pseuds/Multicoloredacid'>Multicoloredacid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista RK900, Cafe AU, College AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, How may tags is too much?, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Human Upgraded Connor | RK900, M/M, Professor Hank, Slow Burn, Student Gavin, The rating will go up eventually when I get there., barista Connor, coffee AU, coffee shop AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:48:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24631099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multicoloredacid/pseuds/Multicoloredacid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Fall semester starting up, Gavin must navigate his new campus on the other side of the continent. Thanks to a very anti-social barista, he eventually finds that his trip to the cafe has less to do with keeping up with school work and more to do with his regrettable obsession.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hank Anderson/Connor, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Uptown Guy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey so I have decided to be a little more active as far as my writing goes. Also my username here is my PSN if anyone wants to add me there( or most other places tbh). Anyway I've been craving some coffee shop au/college au and Reed900 is one of my absolute favorites. So sit back and enjoy. I'll be sure to sprinkle in a little HankCon where I can but obviously they won't be the main ship here. Might add a little Markus/Simon while I'm at it. Please come yell at me and send me your criticism/comments.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's morning and time for Gavin's first class.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as Gavin leaves his dorm, he can feel the chill digging into his bones. It's time for a new semester to start up in a place he is unfamiliar with. Luckily the dorms are located near a quaint little downtown area. If he hurries, he can make it to the local cafe where the hipsters frequent and then get to class on time. He slips back into his dorm and trudges up the stairs until he's in his room. </p><p>After donning his leather jacket and patting down the pockets to check for his pen and cigarettes, he makes his way back outside. The town is small enough that the city streets aren't too crowded and everything is within walking distance. Gavin can feel himself already happy at the prospect of getting into shape thanks to his new routine. </p><p>Campus looms just up the hill, reminding him that his first class will begin soon. He grips his laptop bag and continues through the streets. It's early and yet all of the trendy teens attending the same school are already out and enjoying the cool breeze. After eyeing a particularly flamboyant guy smacking around a Hacky Sack with his ankle, he turns the corner and is greeted with the sight of the local coffee place.</p><p>It doesn't bare the usual, green and white logo he's used to, but he's happy enough getting something strong into his system so he'll stay awake during class. The door opens with the sound of jingling bells and he can smell the fresh aroma of grounded, heavenly beans. His mouth waters and his eyes fall to the counter and the ridiculous local art on the walls. A few people sitting in the corner look up from their computers only to glare and go back to their business. Figures he'd have to deal with some stuck-up locals. </p><p>His grey eyes land on a tall barista standing behind the counter. Something inside of Gavin screams about how arrogant this guy looks. The worker's tag says "Niles" and he doesn't have a single brown hair out of place. His posture is stiff and he fits in perfectly among the patrons with their air of importance. This won't turn Gavin away. There's a mission for coffee and he's going to get what he wants....even if the barista looks like he's going to roll his eyes and look down his perfectly sculpted nose.</p><p>"Hello. How can I help you?" It is the most unenthusiastic thing Gavin has ever heard in his life. If there was even less life to the words, he might think the guy was dead. He pauses and tries to counter the other man's tone by being a little too upbeat. It wasn't even ten in the morning and he already wanted to punch someone. "Yes. Hi. Hello! I'd like a large black coffee with no sugar because you are just <i>so sweet.</i>" Did that sound mean and sarcastic enough? God he hopes so. Niles' eyes dart to the new customer and his brows raise.</p><p>Before Niles could respond, a hand slapped down on the counter in front of Gavin. "Good Morning! I'll have that coffee right out to you shortly!" Niles doesn't even flinch, but Gavin has already jumped back and is starting to straighten out his v-neck where he gripped it. Behind the tall barista is a shorter barista. He looks almost identical to the first, but he's softer and shorter. His eyes are a deep brown and he gives off much more emotion than the blue-eyed taller version. They must be brothers. So Gavin just pissed off what looks like a protective sibling.</p><p>"Thanks so much." The student doesn't sound appreciative and yet they were taking his words at face value and going about making his plain drink. The cool gaze of the expressionless robotic man never left him...or at least it felt like it never left.</p><p> It shouldn't take this long for them to make him a simple cup of coffee.</p><p> Thanks to the wait, he pulls out his laptop and begins looking over his syllabus. Why he wanted to take Criminal Justice and become a detective, he'll never know. The course at least got him away from his annoying parents, though he does miss his cat. He opens a new window and sends his mom a message so he can request a few pictures. If only his dorm would allow pets.</p><p>A cup is placed next to him and he looks up to see the soft, but passive aggressive smile of the shorter barista. His name tag says 'Connor'. "Have a nice day sir." Gavin quickly translated that to 'fuck you' in customer service.</p><p>"Thanks." For once he isn't trying to be an ass. His gaze goes back to Niles. Of course the bored barista is reluctantly returning his gaze. Gavin shakes his head and places his laptop up before getting up from his seat. The bells attached to the door jingle to signal his departure and at least they seem happy to have had his company, unlike the two behind the counter of the establishment.</p><p>As he lifts the cup to his lips, he notices something out of place. The smell and taste of the coffee is rich, though a dark spot on the lid catches his eye. In almost perfect writing is a smiley face hand drawn on the lid. If Niles wrote it, it's the most emotion Gavin has seen from him, if Connor wrote it then well, it must be more passive-aggressiveness. He doesn't suppress his chuckling as he continues on his way to class.</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Professor Hank Anderson stretches his arms over his head before his early morning lecture. Students begin pouring in and talking among themselves. He opens up the document containing the syllabus, but also the presentation dealing with filing criminal cases. Thanks to his age, he doubts he'll ever actually be a detective, much less a lieutenant himself. At least he can give his expertise to a new generation of minds.</p><p> His grey hair is  pulled into a loose ponytail so that it doesn't fall into his face. He's pretty decent looking for almost being fifty...at least that's what his boyfriend tells him. A smile crosses his features when he thinks about his significant other. They weren't really boyfriends or lovers. They didn't put a label on it. Maybe his much younger man is embarrassed by him. He didn't know for sure. They went on dates, but have yet to really kiss or do anything terribly intimate. Did his man feel as excited to see him as he was? There's no time to think about it as the last of the students file in and find their seats. </p><p>After he's already halfway through the syllabus, a new face emerges through the door. The guy has dark brown hair and a leather jacket on. Hank doubts the coffee he's holding will keep his student awake if his eye bags are anything to go by. What immediately caught the professor's eye, however, was a huge scar running over the kid's nose. For some reason, he felt compelled to be a jerk to this guy. </p><p>"Glad you could join us. You're lucky it's the first class or I would have locked the door at the beginning and you'd have wasted money on this first lecture." Something about the v-neck and the tight pants leads Hank to believe this kid is probably an asshole. What comes out of the student's mouth confirms his suspicions. "What the hell old man? You emailed this to everyone so there's no reason to go over it. Also there's no reason to make a scene out of me being slightly late. I was quiet until you singled me out."</p><p>A sigh is freed from the professor's lungs and he shakes his head. "Son if you want to get a decent grade in this class, I suggest you sit down and shut your trap."</p><p> Even though they were paying Hank to deal with punks like this in his class, he still didn't feel like it was enough. "Look....I don 't want to argue with you kid. Just sit and I'll pretend we didn't start off this rocky. Got it?" Damn Generation Z and their inability to be on time and organized. It may be an unfair assumption, but he remembers the days of Tide Pod challenges as if his generation didn't eat spoonfuls of cinnamon. After rolling his deep, blue eyes, he turns back to the screen and goes back to his explanation for his grading process. Luckily the kid sits down with a glare and takes a sip of his coffee before pulling out his laptop.</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Once class is over, Gavin doesn't even bother going up to the professor as many of the suck-ups do. Unfortunately Professor Anderson has other plans. The older man comes over to him and places a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Hey kid..uh about earlier..."</p><p> "<b>Gavin.</b> Gavin is my name. I'm not a kid you absolute geezer." A playful smile crossed his lips.</p><p>"Well Gavin, it's nice to finally meet you formally, but this old man would appreciate it if you kept your attitude in check during my class. I can and will have you kicked out. You're not close enough to me for us to have any sort of playful banter yet. So cool it and stop being such an ass." They were both adults right? Gavin rolls his eyes and holds his hand out for a shake. "Fine. I'll be on my best behavior sir." Hank doubts that, but at least the kid is trying to be civil even though Hank is choosing to ignore the sarcasm. He gives the kid's hand a firm shake and accepts it as an apology.  This was going to be a long semester.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Downtown Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time for Gavin to explore the local area and for some reason, he decides to go right back to the coffee shop. The vibes there are stuffy and clash with his style, but he'll have a coffee and stay a while.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys I'm back at it again. Of course I'm modeling the small city after southern college places( Athens, GA/ Wilmington, NC/etc.). Do please imagine the floor plan of his dorm being like Max's from Life Is Strange but with long windows. I'll have to describe it more in writing of course.  I'm also debating whether or not to have Markus in a poly ship with Josh, Simon and North even though the whole ship with North kind of felt forced( via canon). The main ship again is Reed900 but I'm here for the slow, slow, sloooooowwww burn. Anyway feel free to yell at me. I do plan on expanding more on this story and au. I might even have a solid plot eventually. lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Gavin wakes to sun streaming through the cracks of his blinds. He originally thought the quaint design of long windows in his dorm would be charming, but now with the sunlight threatening his retinas, he knows he'll have to venture out and grab some curtains. It's already bad enough that he has to share a bathroom with the rest of the dorm. At least there aren't that many occupants. He grabs his bag of supplies and runs fingers through his hair. He stands in front of his wardrobe's mirror and then thinks better of going out in only a t-shirt and boxers. </p><p>After donning a pair of workout shorts, Gavin makes his way out into the hallway. Each door has a dry-erase board and there are ads and information placed on cork bulletin boards. He passes them quickly and avoids any glances turning in his direction. Thankfully the showers are empty aside from the one in the corner. The sound of running water and faint humming come from it.</p><p>The mirrors fogging up reveal drawings and people's phone numbers. Gavin wonders if this Markus person knows someone thinks he's hung or if the written rumor itself is true. A huge smile stretches his face as he tries not to laugh at the crude writings and drawings. For some reason he expected <i>worse</i>...or maybe <i>better</i> from the men's dorm. He slides in the stall and frees himself from his clothes. That rumor has him looking between his legs after getting the water going warm. Would anyone say anything about his size eventually? Nah. He's not about to let anyone here know him quite like that or at least that is what he tells himself.</p><p>Water runs down his back and he lathers up his hair. Coffee and a light breakfast sound amazing and he thinks maybe it's time to venture out downtown. It would be great for him to familiarize himself with the area. There's a plan to look like a local before the next semester begins. Maybe he can afford to take another semester in the small town. Something about it is so refreshing. The only downside is he can't see his fluffy cat. He'd have to visit her. His mind drifts over all of the things he'd like to do. An expressionless face fills his mind and he can feel his body growing hot. That pretentious prick at the coffee shop is cute, sure, but Gavin is determined to keep that to himself. He always did have the worst taste in men. Mr.Tall, pale and <s> hands</s> ...snobby will believe he is out of Gavin's league anyway.</p><p>The sound of humming and water ceases from the far stall and someone exits or Gavin thought it was a single person. Instead it's three men stepping out. Their shadows move past Gavin's curtain as they make their way from the shower room. He quickly leans over to see two darker men and a blond man with towels around their waists. It's not polite to be nosy and yet Gavin can't help but listen in to their conversation lingering out of the shower. </p><p>"We need to let North know we're running late for our date. You know how she felt last time. She's already jealous we are in the same dorm together."</p><p>A deeper voice pipes up. "Oh Simon. Are you afraid she's going to bend you over my knee again and spank you?" Laughter from not only that voice, but the other man that wasn't speaking fills the space.</p><p>The three men reach the door and exit as the guy named Simon retorted. His voice was distorted behind the now closed door, but he sounded offended in a playful way. The laughter continues until it is drowned out by the water coming from Gavin's shower. Were those three in...a relationship or were they like those guys from a certain meme in the hot tub five feet apart because they weren't gay? Gavin shakes his damp head and sloshes water around before turning off the water and stepping out. He didn't want to make friends in the dorm, but thanks to such a wild exchange that he quietly witnessed, he is ready to meet three particular people and he would say four, if he were into ladies.</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Not being able to control himself, Gavin finds himself looking around for the three guys from the shower room, but he only saw their backs. There were dudes that fit the description, though he didn't desire to be caught staring at people. God forbid the men around him on campus find out he's trying to imagine what they'd look like in a towel. There is a particular prick that comes to his mind even though he's not relevant. He continues off the campus grounds, across the grass and over to the road that would lead him to the coffee shop.</p><p>As he makes his way to the cafe, he gets the idea to piss Niles off. What other way would he be able to see any sort of expression on that snob's face? Plus it helps that people say Gavin pisses them off frequently. That's what people from his hometown used to say, that and he was an asshole. Gavin doesn't really care. Perhaps Connor won't even be in or maybe he'd get unlucky and Niles wouldn't be there either. "Fuck it." he whispers under his breath as he digs a smoke out of his pocket. It didn't seem like any of the hipsters on the street heard him or like they did anything other than having their heads up their own asses. He laughs and takes a drag of his cigarette. Smoke comes from his nose and he tries to relax before seeing those steel blue eyes. Unfortunately for him, Niles is his type. The only problem is the guy had the personality of a stale piece of bread. Before entering the cafe, he snuffs out his smoke and throws his trash in the bin near the door.</p><p>Typically faces lift only to sneer at him. A few people( including Niles if his sight wasn't lying) scrunched up their noses at him. That's right you trendy nerds, Gavin, the guy in the jeans and Henley unironically doesn't fit in here. Joy fills him for not only what he's about to do to Niles, but also for ruining this sanctuary with his basic boy style. Screenplay writers shouldn't take up entire tables in coffee shops only buying one drink for the day anyway in his opinion. He graces the counter with a slap to it and stares the menu down. "Give me a second will ya?" Too bad there wasn't a line for him to hold up.</p><p>Niles regards him with what looks like caution, curiosity and disgust. Gavin can't decipher it when his sight is up behind the tall barista. It's not like his expressions were strong enough for the student to notice them anyway. "Yeah I'll have....a large coffee with a shot of espresso and a bagel. Got a class later and I don't want to pass out during it. Actually where's your brother? He not here to protect you from me?" His grey eyes look to see if he angered the worker. That jaw is sharp and so is his bored gaze. Gavin would have to work harder if he is going to get a reaction. "That's an order I made just now. Get to it before I ask for your manager." Okay he knows he can do better than imitating a Karen, though their behavior was rather annoying. </p><p>A certain thrill ran through Gavin at the prospect of pissing off the barista. Niles gave him a quick look over but then went about making his order with only a brow raise.</p><p>That was it.</p><p>All he is awarded is a raise of some brows and soon, a large cup and bagel with a side cup of plain cream cheese are set next to him. Without having control of his expression, his mouth gapes in astonishment and Niles returns his look with a fraction of a smile. Not an ounce of acknowledgement goes to how Gavin did his best to be as obnoxious as possible. If Connor was there, maybe Gavin could have pissed off Niles. His sibling was protective. He could only pray that Niles was the same. After blowing off his coffee, he noticed the smiley face on his cup. Did the barista do that to everyone's cup or is he just fucking with Gavin? The door to the shop opens, but he keeps his glare focused on the tall barista. If he has the energy to be a pest, he has the energy to do school work. The group of people approaching the counter catch his attention. Even as they did, he still manages to pull out his laptop and pretend he isn't trying to pry into their business. It's the three men from the showers and a woman is with them. They order from Niles and he looks bored even as he efficiently gets to work on their drinks and breakfast. </p><p>"Awww come on North! It's not so bad. We can all still visit you and we each have a few classes together." the blond man whined as North glared. "So what? I wanted a co-ed dorm, but you guys went ahead and got the first rooms you saw. This isn't fair Simon. We were supposed to be in this together. What happened to Jericho?"</p><p>One of the other men wraps his arm around her waist and it does everything to quell her anger. "Relax North. We still have Jericho. It's just giving us all a little more space. That's it. We still love you dearly and want to spend as much time as possible with you." Gavin sees that this man has a green and a blue eye thanks to him gently rocking North into the miniscule amount of sunlight streaming into the cafe. Their voices can't keep Gavin's attention. As soon as Niles brings them their drinks and food, his focus is back to those icy blues. Vaguely he notices that their cups don't have any scribbles or smiley faces. <i>So he is fucking with Gavin!</i> That smug bastard must think he's so clever.</p><p>The strange group takes their seats and they begin working on some project together if their words rang true. Gavin's attention is split even if he's keeping most of it on Niles. Who does that tall prick think he is? He can't even figure out why his quest to piss off the barista ended with him upset. This was never part of the plan. Before dwelling on it any further, he stands with a warm face and rolls up his sleeves. There are no customers at the counter so he has time to give that hot fuck a piece of his mind.</p><p>Wait. </p><p>Wait a second.</p><p>Did he just?</p><p>Despite his hesitating, Gavin smacks the counter again. With his brain short-circuting, he fixes what he hopes is a displeased gaze on Niles. The bastard has the audacity to smile. Sure, it's a tiny one, but it's there. His chest feels warm as he begins his word vomit to prove that he hates this guy's guts. "Hey!" His voice is loud enough and yet it garners no attention from the other customers who have probably had enough of Gavin's nonsense. "Hey you with the plain ass face. What's your issue anyway?" Niles opens his mouth to respond, only to close it thanks to Gavin continuing his rant. "Your ego can't fit in here you snotty, uppity bitch. You think you're some kind of celebrity who is gracing the peasants when you're really just a minimum wage slave. You take orders from me. And what's with this doodling bullcrap? You don't think I'm smart enough to have a regular coffee without your two cents on it? Well I'll have you know that I'm studying to become a detective but it doesn't take Sherlock to see you're a pretentious prick."</p><p>He takes a deep breath and smiles smuggly at Niles. It should feel better than it does, but his chest is tight. Never in a million years did he think he would be this rude to someone in the service industry. Something about the barista just crawled right under his skin and pressed all of his buttons like he was some sort of remote.</p><p>Niles loses any playfulness he had and his cool eyes go to the floor. "I had no idea you were so sensitive sir. Technically my brother is the manager, but I'm sure he'll be okay with me telling you to finish your breakfast quickly and quietly or I will have to escort you out of the building." He didn't even bother looking back to Gavin, he just walked to a door and went to what Gavin assumed was the back storage. </p><p><i>He</i> was the sensitive one? Seriously? </p><p>There's nothing he can do but go back to his seat and finish his now cold coffee and lukewarm bagel. He quickly puts up his laptop and heads out of the shop. The bells on the door do nothing to lift his mood. A cloud follows over his head all the way back to campus. For some reason, he feels the urge to apologize. It's not his style and he tries not to think about it or else he'll barf.</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Connor steps into the back room and straightens the collar of his button-up. After putting on his apron, he moves through the shelves of supplies. He never wanted to be late to work, but his boyfriend kept him busy and he could never say no to walking his dog Sumo. A shaking breath yanks him out of his thoughts and he rushes around the corner to find Niles staring at his hands. "What happened?! Was it a rude customer? Please tell me they aren't here anymore or I'll go fight them. Niles are you okay?"</p><p>"I'm fine. It's not a big deal. You can't protect me forever."</p><p>"What? I'm your big brother. That's like my job or something." He gives Niles a huge grin with his puppy-dog eyes.</p><p>"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. If I wanted to talk about it, I would have already done so. Just...could you take the next few orders and I'll gather myself together back here?" The moment would pass and soon he'd feel like his heart isn't breaking into pieces over some rugged stranger. It's his fault for assuming the guy had the hots for him anyway. </p><p>"Yeah okay fine....But we will talk about this later. Oh and point me to the asshole responsible and I will mess them up." Connor reminded Niles of an angry purse dog, though he appreciated his brother caring for him. </p><p>"Will do nerd."</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Students gather outside around trees and picnic tables. The college's grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Gavin rolls his sleeves down and tries to remember why he had them up in the first place. Oh that's right. He may have to hide from that coffee place or find another one soon. Even as he plans out his breakfast's future, he can't help but wonder how Niles is doing, which doesn't make any sense to him. He has a forensics course soon and the last thing he should be fretting over is some snob.</p><p>The path leads past a zen garden. A few coins litter the pond he walks over no doubt from wishes made during finals week. Fish swim though the water, but he turns his eyes to the odd statue that felt out of place among the pristine garden. It's a pillar with a blue hand print. Gavin places his hand against the panel and tries to dispell the negative energy flowing through him. He can't change the past so he'll have to move forward. If only the ugly art could stop him from making the mistakes he has. How silly to think a stone could change the way Gavin is hardwired. It's not like he asked for life to turn him into an asshole. His fingers find the scar on the bridge of his nose shortly after and then he's off to his early-afternoon class.</p><p>Jeffery Fowler is the Forensic's professor. Everyone piles into the room and starts getting ready for his lecture. The man is massive, but so is his boisterous voice. Without wasting any energy, he commands the attention of his class. His deductive reasoning is almost enough to keep Gavin's mind off of his problems for at least a lecture. They go over the procedures for setting up a crime scene and what exactly one should collect from one for testing. A whole documents full of notes later, everyone is dismissed and Gavin lingers behind to organize his bag. Students gather around the professor to ask questions and then a hand is patting him on the shoulder. He looks up to see a woman with black hair pulled into a ponytail. "Hey you look like the kind of guy I was just searching for."</p><p>His mind goes blank as he tries to figure out what that means or if he should tell her he isn't interested in women. She sees his confusion and speaks up. "No no. Not like that. I have a special person. No." Then to hurt Gavin's pride further, she chuckles. "I meant you look like the kind of guy I would want to chill out with. You also seem new around here. If you ever need anyone to shoot the shit with or get a drink with, count me in buddy." Now that she mentions it, he could use a nice drink out on the town and bonus points go to her probably knowing the best places to get a drink. "Actually I was looking to get my drink on tonight, if you weren't too busy. The name is Gavin by the way." </p><p>She pats him on the back, because she doesn't like stuffy handshakes. "Hey Gavin that sounds great. My name is Tina and I live right outside the city. I go to school for fun. Just noticed you were a new face since I live here. We should meet up by the dean's statue around ten. I have a class at night tomorrow, so I should be good to drink. See you then to spill the tea." Tina winks and then heads for the exit. </p><p>"Yeah cool. See you then." he calls after her. She might be the one he can vent to about Niles. No one else would listen to him complain.</p><p>________________________________________</p><p>Gavin paces around his dorm room. It doesn't matter what he wears out to drink, and yet he finds himself looking through his closet. Posters boasting rock bands cover a few of his walls tastefully in frames. He never makes up his bed because he feels it's a huge waste of time. Ugh he got so wrapped up in his regrets and thoughts that he forgot to grab curtains for his long windows. He'll have to go shopping tomorrow if he's not too hungover. There's a few pictures of his cat with his parents and of his old football team. A dusty trophy from years ago boasts that he can hold his own on the field. Okay it's a team sport, but he thinks he's pretty decent at tossing the old pig skin. He turns in front of the mirror and wonders if his ass looks good enough in the jeans or if he should wear khaki shorts instead. He chooses his most suggestive, black v-neck and imagines running into a cute bartender. </p><p>His fantasies yank him back to a particular prick. What would Niles wear out to a bar? Was he even into guys? Gavin doesn't care. He shouldn't care. A deep breath and he steps out into the hall. Some cold water to his face should calm him down and it wouldn't hurt him to shave. Murmurs run down the hallway, pulling his attention to a particular door. The name 'Markus' is on the dry-erase board outside. He snorts seeing the name he remembers from the bathroom. Guess this guy gets busy. Several voices come from the dorm and he's already sure Simon and the other guy are with Markus. The question is which man is hung? It's either the one with heterochromia or the other guy. Gavin shakes his head and strides toward the bathroom. </p><p>He stares at himself in the mirror over the sink. His jaw is dripping with water and his hair is tousled just right. Screw that snobby prick. Gavin is hot stuff and could have any guy he wants. 'Then why are we still thinking about Niles?' his brain says as it betrays him. There's not a chance in Hell that he'd even entertain unraveling these feelings and examining them. That's what therapists are for and they aren't cheap. Confronting difficult emotions isn't something someone like Gavin does anyway. He would be better off banging his head against a wall. After pulling a razor out of his bag and some shaving cream, he gets to work shaving stubble from his chin. Tonight he is determined to at least flirt with a hot guy. Maybe Tina wouldn't mind being his wing woman.</p>
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